Crispy Roasted Maitake Mushroom Chips
Maitake mushroom chips are crispy and surprisingly meaty. Eat straight out of the oven or use them to top salads, pasta, or roasted chicken dishes.
Maitake Mushrooms
This past fall I was generously gifted a freshly foraged maitake mushroom (thank you Marcus!). Maitake, or hen-of-the-woods, is a prized fall foraging find, with a meaty taste and mild mushroom flavor. Maitakes are parasitic polypore that grow as clusters at the base of mature trees, predominately oaks. They appear in September and into October, often popping up in the same location year after year. Its clusters of fan-shaped caps make it great for sautéing, roasting, and frying- perfect to make crispy maitake mushroom chips!
Cultivated maitakes are also becoming more widely available at speciality grocery stores and farmer’s markets (there are also kits available to grow your own). Though keep in mind that wild maitakes tend to cook faster and have a stronger taste than cultivated ones.
Once you get your hands on a maitake, they can be difficult to clean due to their clusters and layers of fan-shaped caps. First, cut away any tough or discolored parts of stem. Cut the mushroom into large chunks and remove any debris (twigs, acorns, small rocks), and cut or tear caps into pieces. If there is a lot of dirt, gently swish mushrooms in cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
Interested in learning more about mushrooms? These are my favorite beginner guidebooks that cover the Northeast United States:
- Mushrooms of the Northeast by Teresa Marrone and Walt Sturgeon
- Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms of New England and Eastern Canada by David L. Spahr
More foraging recipes
- Maple-glazed sunchokes and shiitakes
- Blackberry almond bars
- Spring tonic greens with warm pancetta vinaigrette
Crispy Roasted Maitake Chips
Ingredients
- 10 oz maitake mushrooms cleaned
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
- 3 tbsp oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉.
- Cut off any tough parts of mushroom stalk and tear caps into 2-inch pieces. Place mushrooms on parchment-lined baking sheet, along with garlic and thyme. Coat with oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat and spread mushrooms out into a single layer- very important to not overcrowd the baking sheet, otherwise mushrooms will steam instead of roast.
- Roast in oven for 20-30 minutes, until mushrooms have turned golden brown and crispy. How fast they cook will depend on growing conditions- cultivated mushrooms will generally take longer to cook than foraged, and those foraged during a dry spell will cook faster than if the weather was wet.
- Let mushrooms cool slightly on baking sheet-until they are cool enough to eat. Snack on them as chips, or they are great added to warm salads, pasta, or served with roasted chicken.
What a great idea! I never would have thought to make mushroom chips. They look so good.